NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Crosby, Commanders, Aiyuk, Eagles
The Cowboys were aggressive in trade talks for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby earlier this offseason, submitting multiple offers before ultimately falling short. Las Vegas agreed to send Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks, but the deal fell apart after the five-time Pro Bowler failed the Ravens’ physical. Crosby continues to pop up in trade rumors almost a month later, though Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does not expect to circle back (via Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS). “I don’t anticipate, standing here right now, revisiting that situation,” Jones said. “I don’t anticipate it. Is it possible? Yes.”
While Jones is not slamming the door on another Crosby pursuit, it is notable that Cowboys physician Dr. Dan Cooper raised concerns over the defender’s surgically repaired meniscus before he failed his physical. The Ravens consulted with the well-respected Cooper during the process. Unless Dallas does a 180 on Crosby, its best hope to upgrade its pass rush could be via the draft. The Cowboys are scheduled to pick 12th and 20th in the first round.
Here’s more on Dallas and a pair of NFC East rivals:
- Washington is considered the most likely destination for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but San Francisco will have to release him first. The Commanders are not going to trade for Aiyuk, according to John Keim of ESPN. The 49ers are in no rush to cut Aiyuk, who is still tied to the four-year, $120MM extension he signed in August 2024. The team has gotten almost nothing from the deal, as Aiyuk has not played since suffering a knee injury that October. The 28-year-old is now coming off a bizarre season in which he distanced himself from the team during his recovery. The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list in December. Odds are they will eventually cut him, but the Commanders are not going to bank on a release and “bypass other potential options,” Keim writes.
- Having lost Reed Blankenship to the Texans in free agency, the Eagles are down a starting safety to pair with Andrew Mukuba. Nickel cornerback Michael Carter II and safety Marcus Epps, whom the Eagles re-signed on the cheap, are among in-house options to fill the void. To no surprise, general manager Howie Roseman intends to address safety during the draft (via Brooks Kubena of The Athletic). “In some shape or form we will add at that position,” Roseman declared.
- Shifting back to Dallas, the team is in the market for a nickel cornerback, Jon Machota of The Athletic relays. No. 1 corner DaRon Bland has slot experience, including 200 snaps last year, but the Cowboys prefer to keep him on the outside. While Reddy Steward amassed 384 slot snaps in 2025, Pro Football Focus ranked his play a lackluster 99th among 112 qualifiers. Notably, the Cowboys have visited with Miami’s Keionte Scott, one of the highest-rated nickel CBs in this year’s draft class.
- The Cowboys will stage “an open competition” between backup quarterbacks Joe Milton and Sam Howell for the No. 2 job, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Machota). The Cowboys sent a fifth-rounder to the Patriots for Milton and a seventh-rounder a year ago. Starter Dak Prescott went on to enjoy a healthy and productive campaign, which left little playing time for Milton. Howell, who joined the Cowboys on a one-year deal last month, was a 17-game starter in Washington in 2023. The 25-year-old has not made a start since then, and he didn’t even play a snap as a third-stringer in Philadelphia last season.
David Bailey Visits Cardinals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets
6:35pm: Bailey also visited the Jets, Rapoport adds. They are looking for a young edge rusher to pair with 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald after trading Jermaine Johnson to the Titans. New York holds the No. 2 pick, which is the earliest Bailey could be drafted with the Raiders all but certain to select Fernando Mendoza first overall.
5:03pm: Texas Tech edge rusher and projected first-round pick David Bailey has made his rounds around the NFL during the pre-draft process. He first visited the Cardinals in early March with trips to the Chiefs and the Cowboys this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bailey, 22, is widely expected to be selected in the first 10 picks of April’s draft. He began his college career at Stanford with solid production from 2022 to 2024. In 2025, he transferred to Texas Tech and mounted an All-American campaign in Lubbock with an FBS-high 14.5 sacks and a Big 12-high 19.5 tackles for loss.
That production, combined with an excellent performance at the Combine, vaulted Bailey to the top of a strong draft class at his position. Among edge rushers, his 4.50-second 40-yard dash trailed only fellow projected top-10 pick Arvell Reese, and his 10-foot-9 broad jump ranked third.
With BJ Ojulari and Baron Browning in the last year of their contracts, the Cardinals could use a foundational edge rusher to build their defense around. Bailey is arguably the best one available, and the shorter-than-average arms of his primary competition, Rueben Bain, might scare Arizona away from using the No. 3 pick on him. Bailey brings no such length concerns, though his slim frame and lack of elite power are knocks on his game.
The Chiefs, who hold the ninth overall pick, could also use another high-upside edge rusher opposite 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis. Bailey’s speed-rushing capabilities could complement Karlaftis’ power and ensure that Kansas City’s pass rush continues to thrive even if Chris Jones retires in the next few years.
The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Packers just before the 2025 regular season, and his absence loomed large all year long. Dallas has built some depth off the edge with Rashan Gary joining Sam Williams and 2025 second-rounder Donovan Ezeiruaku, but none can match Bailey’s long-term upside. No one player can truly replace Parsons, but adding an explosive pass rusher like Bailey would be a good start.
Stephon Gilmore Announces Retirement
Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is calling it a career. The 13-year veteran cornerback announced his retirement Thursday via social media.
Gilmore, 35, finished his career as a member of six teams — the Bills, Patriots, Panthers, Colts, Cowboys and Vikings — and as a Super Bowl champion. Gilmore played in two Super Bowls with the Patriots, becoming a key piece to help New England secure its sixth championship.
Although Gilmore played for five teams over his final five seasons, he will be best remembered for his tenures in New England and Buffalo. The Bills drafted the outside cornerback in the 2012 first round, and the Patriots deviated from their generally conservative Bill Belichick-era free agency blueprint to hand him a big-ticket deal in 2017. That led to Gilmore’s career apex, as he secured back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods with the Pats.
The veteran cover man did not play last season but expressed interest in doing so. Gilmore contemplated retirement following his 2024 Minnesota season, and after not following through last year, the South Carolina native will walk away in 2026. Intercepting 32 regular-season passes and starting 173 career games, Gilmore was certainly one of the better cornerbacks of his era. He delivered one of the greatest stretches in the position’s history as well, and it played a key role in the Patriots venturing to Super Bowls LII and LIII.
New England brought Gilmore in on a five-year, $65MM deal that featured $31MM guaranteed at signing. Gilmore joined the Pats during the offseason in which the team placed a first-round RFA tender on Malcolm Butler. Infamously scratched for Super Bowl LII, Butler soon left (for Tennessee) in free agency. Gilmore shined from 2018-19, earning first-team All-Pro acclaim in each season. In 2018, Gilmore delivered lockdown coverage for a Patriots team gunning for its third straight Super Bowl appearance. His interceptions of Philip Rivers and Jared Goff in the playoffs did plenty to hand that dynasty a sixth title, with Pro Football Focus handing out a career-best grade (90.9) to the former No. 10 overall pick.
Gilmore outdid his 2018 season a year later, and while the Patriots could not voyage to a fourth straight Super Bowl, Gilmore became the first cornerback in 10 years to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors. Intercepting six passes in 2019, Gilmore returned two of those picks for scores and allowed a measly 44.1 passer rating as the closest defender. These two seasons prompted Gilmore to push for a revised contract, but he did not end up securing a true extension in Foxborough.
The Patriots gave Gilmore a $4.95MM raise for the 2020 season, but the sides could not come to terms on another agreement in 2021. That led the Pats to trade Gilmore to the Panthers — after nearly cutting him — before the 2021 deadline. Gilmore had not played for the Pats yet in 2021, being placed on the reserve/PUP list due to a quad issue. The Panthers obtained the ex-South Carolina Gamecock for a 2023 sixth-round pick. While the move brought Gilmore back home, he signed with the Colts (two years, $20MM) in 2022.
As Indianapolis retooled around Shane Steichen in 2023, the team traded Gilmore to Dallas for a fifth-round pick. Gilmore worked opposite DaRon Bland in 2023, with the latter setting an NFL record with five pick-sixes after Trevon Diggs suffered a seminal ACL tear in a September practice. Gilmore expressed interest in re-signing with the Cowboys but ended up with the Vikings (one year, $7MM) just before the 2024 season. Minnesota used Gilmore as a full-time starter on the boundary during a 14-3 season — a period that brought a Gilmore reunion with ex-Pats de facto DC Brian Flores — but the team did not opt to re-sign him in 2025.
The Bills initiated Gilmore’s NFL launch, drafting him to play for Chan Gailey and Dave Wannstedt. By 2013, Doug Marrone and Mike Pettine were in the HC and DC roles. Gilmore toiled for five Bills teams that extended the franchise’s playoff drought to 17 by the 2016 season. The Bills did see their No. 1 corner make his first Pro Bowl that year, bolstering his free agent market. Buffalo let Gilmore walk in 2017 and drafted future All-Pro Tre’Davious White (via the Patrick Mahomes trade) weeks later.
Gilmore’s Colts pact bumped him past $100MM in career earnings; his Vikings contract moved him to $115.37MM over the course of 13 seasons. Falling short of the All-Decade team for the 2010s (despite a strong late push from his Pats days), the 6-foot corner will not be a Hall of Fame lock. But he crafted a strong midcareer apex that made a considerable difference in multiple Super Bowl chases.
Cowboys Meet With Arvell Reese, Schedule Visits With Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles
Ohio State is expected to be the most represented school in the first half of this month’s first round. As many as four Buckeyes are squarely on the radar to become top-10 picks. The Cowboys are meeting with three of them.
Dallas completed a “30” visit with hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese, according to All DLLS’ Clarence Hill, who adds the team has scheduled pre-draft meetings with safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles.
All three Ohio State defenders reside in the top nine of Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com big board, which slots Styles third, Reese fifth and Downs ninth. This would make it unlikely any member of the trio reaches the Cowboys at No. 12, but that is not a certainty. Both Styles and Downs play non-premium positions, while Reese is considered a high-ceiling project who has drawn some Micah Parsons comparisons due to his potential as an edge rusher and experience as an off-ball LB.
Styles, though, may be the cleanest of these prospects. As our Adam La Rose noted this week, Styles spent two seasons as a safety in Columbus. He moved to linebacker in 2024 and combined for 182 tackles and seven sacks over the past two seasons. The all-around talent drew a Jeremiah comp to All-Pro Fred Warner; Styles’ Combine work gives him a chance to become the first off-ball linebacker selected in the top five since Devin White in 2019. One GM and a separate longtime evaluator told SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora that Styles is the best overall talent in this year’s draft.
As other positional markets have soared in recent years, ILB has not climbed much. Warner and Shaquille Leonard secured deals reaching or exceeding $19MM per year in 2021; the market is now topped by Warner’s $21MM-per-year 49ers extension. Neither Devin Lloyd nor Quay Walker required a top-five ILB deal to sign last month; the position is not viewed similarly to edge rusher, where Reese is hoping to campaign. White (for the most part), Isaiah Simmons, Rolando McClain and Aaron Curry underwhelmed as top-10 picks. Though, Luke Kuechly and Roquan Smith delivered as top-10 options in that span.
Downs also plays a position that teams regularly devalue, though the safety market has changed more than the ILB landscape in recent years. The Giants (No. 5) have been linked to both Styles and Downs, while the Commanders (No. 7) have also met with Styles. Only two safeties — Jamal Adams (No. 6, 2017) and Eric Berry (No. 5, 2010) — have been drafted in the top 10 over the past 18 years. Downs will be a good bet to join them, but if he slips, a Cowboys team in dire need of defensive help could be lurking.
Considering how clean Styles and Downs are viewed as prospects, these visits are interesting. This is prime smokescreen season, but teams seeing the Cowboys meeting with this duo could influence another club to trade up to outflank Dallas in the event one is still on the board as No. 12 nears.
Reese has been mocked frequently to the Jets at No. 2, but he played fewer than 100 EDGE snaps in 2025. Reese wants to play that position as a pro; that makes sense given the tremendous value gap between ILBs and OLBs. A GM informed La Canfora Reese should be viewed as a 3-4 OLB in the pros. The Cowboys are installing that defense under new DC Christian Parker, but Reese will not be expected to be available by the time Dallas’ first pick comes around.
Jadeveon Clowney Interested In Ravens
Despite sitting on the free agent market until mid-September last season, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney emerged as a rare bright spot on a porous Cowboys defense. Playing on a one-year, $3.5MM deal, Clowney notched 41 tackles (12 TFL), 8.5 sacks and four passes defensed in 13 games.
A return to Dallas looked like a strong possibility toward the end of the season, but it may not be in the cards after the hiring of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. As things stand, the Cowboys do not see Clowney as the right fit in Parker’s system, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports.
If the 33-year-old Clowney signs elsewhere, he could join his eighth team ahead of his 13th season. Along with the Cowboys, the 2014 No. 1 overall pick has spent time with the Texans, Seahawks, Titans, Browns, Ravens and Panthers. In 2023, his only year in Baltimore, Clowney put together his lone 17-game campaign and tied a career high with 9.5 sacks. Three years later, Clowney would be willing to rejoin the Ravens.
“They got a lot of good guys that I can relate to in that locker room,” he told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. “I’ll definitely be open to going back to Baltimore, playing with Lamar Jackson now. It was a great time for me.”
It is unclear if the Ravens are interested in Clowney, especially after replacing former head coach John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter. But the Ravens have emphasized upgrading their pass rush this offseason, and Clowney is among the top choices left in free agency. After a blockbuster Maxx Crosby trade with the Raiders collapsed, the Ravens pivoted to free agent Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112MM agreement. General manager Eric DeCosta has insisted (to much outside skepticism) Baltimore wanted both Crosby and Hendrickson. Meanwhile, Dre’Mont Jones left for the Patriots in free agency, and Kyle Van Noy remains unsigned.
As of now, Tavius Robinson, 2025 second-round pick Mike Green and 2024 third-rounder Adisa Isaac are the Ravens’ main complements to Hendrickson. Considering Baltimore has 11 picks, including No. 14 overall, it would not be a surprise to see DeCosta add at least one pass rusher in the draft. The Ravens also have $29.54MM in cap space, giving them ample room to pay Clowney if they are interested in a reunion.
Cowboys To Make LB Addition, Interested In Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks
The Cowboys’ poor linebacker play was a core part of their defensive struggles last season, but the team is hoping a full season from DeMarvion Overshown will lead to marked improvements in 2026.
However, Overshown needs a running mate in the middle of Dallas’ defense. The other linebackers on the roster are Shemar James and Justin Barron, neither of whom profile as starters in what will be their second NFL season.
The Cowboys “made a run” at a few linebackers in free agency, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said this week (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). We heard about pursuits of Devin Lloyd, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean along with an attempted trade for Patrick Queen. They were not able to land any, leaving them with a sizable void with many of the league’s top free agents already signed.
“We recognize that we need to fill some holes there,” Schottenheimer added. Executive vice president Stephen Jones concurred.
“The plan is to add skill at that position,” Jones said, “whether it’s the draft, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s a trade, or a combination of all of the above, we’ll look at all avenues.”
The Cowboys could certainly find a starting-caliber linebacker in a strong draft class, especially with an extra first-round pick from the Micah Parsons trade. Veterans like Bobby Okereke, Bobby Wagner, and Devin White are still available in free agency.
Dallas is also among the teams with interest in Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. No other suitors are known for the 28-year-old, who is entering the final year of his contract.
Miami is interested in signing Brooks to an extension, which would position him as the long-term leader of their defense. However, the rebuilding team — which recently unloaded Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster trade — could try to sell high after his first-team All-Pro selection last year, to a team that has a clear need at the position.
George Pickens Could Skip Cowboys’ Offseason Workouts
The Cowboys kept wide receiver George Pickens in the fold for 2026 with the $27.3MM franchise tag. A multiyear agreement may come together in the next few months, but no progress has been made on that front. It is now in question whether Pickens will participate in the Cowboys’ offseason program, Todd Archer of ESPN relays.
The Cowboys are set to begin workouts on April 20, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer noted those are “voluntary.” Mandatory OTAs are scheduled for mid-June, while training camp will commence in late July. By the time camp opens, the July 15 deadline for Pickens to ink a multiyear deal will have passed. If the 25-year-old is still without a contract at that point, his choices would be to sign the franchise tender or sit out.
As Archer notes, the Cowboys are no strangers to recent contract-related drama. They engaged in a much-publicized standoff with outside linebacker Micah Parsons last summer. Parsons was in attendance for the first two days of the voluntary program, but he did not work out. While Parsons showed up for mandatory OTAs and camp, he was not a participant in practice. A week before the regular season started, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ended the battle when he traded Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Late in the Parsons saga, Jones accused agent David Mulugheta of obstructing negotiations. It’s worth pointing out that Mulugheta also represents Pickens. Jones is once again expected to play a key role in talks regarding a potential Pickens deal, though Schottenheimer seems confident the two sides will find common ground in this case.
“Hey look, GP loves it here. We love GP,” Schottenheimer said. “We have plans for GP to be here for a long time, so we’ll let the business side of this thing play out and see where it goes.”
Acquired from the Steelers last May, Pickens put himself in position for a massive raise with a career-best showing in 2025. After averaging around 59 catches, 947 yards and four touchdowns per season in Pittsburgh, Pickens began his Dallas tenure with a 93-reception, 1,429-yard, nine-touchdown outburst. The four-year veteran ranked top eight in the NFL in all three categories. It bodes well for Pickens that the salary cap has increased substantially since then, though it is anyone’s guess if he and the Cowboys will see eye to eye during negotiations.
NFC Contract Details: Evans, 49ers, Kirk, Commanders, Wentz, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, Seahawks, Falcons, Lions
Here are the key details from some of the free agency deals agreed to around the NFC:
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. More details are in on Evans’ deal, which is essentially a one-year, $14.3MM pact. Four separate $1.5MM escalators for 2027 are in place. If Evans finishes in the top 10 in receptions, yards or receiving touchdowns, he would earn $1.5MM for each such placement. The 49ers must make the playoffs for any of these escalators to kick in, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. San Francisco winning a postseason game this season also would trigger $500K, with any additional playoff wins carrying the same bump (though, $1.5MM is the max Evans can earn from the win-based playoff component of this deal). Evans must play at least 75% of the 49ers’ regular-season offensive snaps to hit the playoff-win incentive, Florio adds. The same escalator steps cover the 2027 season and Evans’ potential 2028 compensation.
- Amik Robertson, CB (Commanders). Two years, $15MM. While Robertson’s signing brought $9MM guaranteed in total, OverTheCap notes $7.35MM is locked in at signing. Robertson’s 2026 cap number sits at $5MM, his 2027 number at $10MM, via ESPN.com’s John Keim. His 2027 base salary ($6.35MM) is nonguaranteed.
- Roy Lopez, DT (Cardinals). Two years, $10.5MM. Lopez’s Arizona return will bring $6MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Lopez, who did not receive any 2027 salary guarantees at signing, will be due a $250K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Dre Greenlaw, LB (49ers). One year, $6MM. This deal is fully guaranteed, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. Greenlaw’s cap number checks in at $3.55MM, as four void years are included here. Greenlaw, who missed nine games as a Bronco in 2025 and was down for almost all of the 2024 season, will see $850K of his third 49ers contract tied to per-game roster bonuses.
- Josh Jones, OL (Seahawks). One year, $4MM. Jones secured $3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The base value and guarantee match Jones’ 2025 Seattle terms.
- Christian Kirk, WR (49ers). One year, $3MM. The former Cardinals, Jaguars and Texans wideout will see $2.78MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. The deal can max out at $6MM.
- Chris Paul, G (Commanders). One year, $3MM. The 2025 starter will see $2.48MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson.
- Carson Wentz, QB (Vikings). One year, $3MM. The former No. 2 overall pick will see $2.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. This is more than double what the Vikings paid Wentz in 2025.
- Sam Howell, QB (Cowboys). One year, $2.5MM. Howell landed $2MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes. The deal maxes out at $3MM, with a $500K incentive pertaining to a Cowboys playoff berth included.
- Samson Ebukam, OLB (Falcons). One year, $2.77MM. Ebukam played out a three-year Colts deal worth $24MM; he will see $700K guaranteed on his Falcons accord, Wilson notes.
- Malcolm Rodriguez, ILB (Lions). One year, $2.75MM. Rodriguez is staying put for $2.7MM fully guaranteed (via Wilson). Because this is the rare four-year qualifying offer, Rodriguez will count just $1.4MM toward the Lions’ cap. The cap number reflects the veteran minimum for a player with four years of service time, with the CBA stipulating a maximum bump from a four-year qualifying contract is $1.55MM.
- Rachaad White, RB (Commanders). One year, $2MM. While the Buccaneers gave Kenneth Gainwell a two-year deal worth $14MM to replace White alongside Bucky Irving, White’s contract will max out at $4MM (per Wilson). The Commanders authorized a $1.72MM guarantee at signing.
- Isiah Pacheco, RB (Lions). One year, $1.81MM. Pacheco’s bounce-back attempt will include a sub-$2MM contract, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicates the deal is fully guaranteed.
Cowboys Considered Trading For Steelers LB Patrick Queen
After a dismal defensive showing in 2025, the Cowboys entered the offseason looking to upgrade their roster on that side of the ball.
Among their top priorities was the linebacker position. Kenneth Murray and Shemar James both finished the season with sub-40.0 grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), putting them right alongside the Bengals for the worst starting duo in the league. Rotational contributors like Jack Sanborn, Logan Wilson, and Marist Liufau could not step up and fill the games, though DeMarvion Overshown played well upon his return from injury in November.
Dallas let Murray, Sanborn, and Wilson hit free agency, with Wilson electing to retire. Overshown will start in 2026, the final year of his rookie deal, but the Cowboys need to find a running mate and potential successor. The team considered three options (via Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News): Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Patrick Queen.
Dean and Walker, who started together at Georgia, reunited in Las Vegas. The Cowboys could have afforded to match or even beat the Raiders’ offers, but the former Bulldogs have said that the opportunity to once again play next to each other was a key motivator in their decision. The same opportunity was not available in Dallas with Overshown locked in as a starter.
That left Queen, the Ravens’ first-round pick in 2020 who signed with their AFC North rivals in free agency in 2024. His grades from PFF have slipped in Pittsburgh relative to his last two years in Baltimore, with a significant step back from 2024 to 2025. Queen’s 20.4 % missed tackle rate was the highest of his career, as were his 829 yards and 11.2 yards per reception allowed when targeted in coverage.
Queen was owed $13.33MM in 2026, per OverTheCap, with $2.5MM getting paid out as a roster bonus on March 15. With his declining performance, 2026 compensation, and a new coaching staff, Pittsburgh could have considered moving the 6-foot-1 linebacker, but the Cowboys decided not to pursue a deal. It is unknown if the Steelers even would have been open to such a deal.
Dallas has yet to add a linebacker this offseason, with James, Liufau, and Justin Barron as the returning candidates to start next to Overshown. There are still a few proven veterans available – Bobby Okereke and Germaine Pratt chief among them – as well as a strong crop of linebacker prospects in April’s draft. The Cowboys should be able to find a starter on Day 1 or 2 with the option of making a post-draft veteran addition or two to round out the room.
Cowboys To Sign DL Jonathan Bullard
The Cowboys are adding veteran defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Bullard has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5MM.
A third-round pick of the Bears in 2016, the 32-year-old Bullard is joining his seventh team ahead of his 11th NFL season. Bullard, also a former Cardinal, Seahawk, Falcon, Viking and Saint, has appeared in 131 games and logged 59 starts.
In signing with Dallas, Bullard will reunite with defensive line coach Marcus Dixon. The two were together in Minnesota in 2024, the lone 17-start season of Bullard’s career. Bullard posted 41 tackles and a sack that year, the last of his three seasons with the Vikings.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder inked a one-year deal with New Orleans last July and went on to appear in 15 games (six starts) in 2025. While Bullard played just 29.73% defensive snaps and made 26 tackles. Pro Football Focus rated his play a useful 62nd among 127 qualified interior defenders.
Bullard missed just two games in his first three seasons, but he combined to sit out 30 from 2019-22. He was far healthier over the previous three years, however, as he put together back-to-back 17-game campaigns before his 15-game stint with the Saints. The Cowboys will hope that continues in 2026. If so, Bullard could play a sizable role on a Quinnen Williams– and Kenny Clark-led defensive line that lost Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas in trades earlier this month. Along with Bullard, the Cowboys have picked up former Chargers D-lineman Otito Ogbonnia on a one-year, $3MM pact.